


Feel It In My Bones

by Willowshade



Series: Come as you are series [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bisexuality, F/F, Female Uchiha Sasuke, Genderbending, Growing Up Together, Homosexuality, Jealousy, Sasuke-centric, Slow Burn, Teenage Drama, sasuke's terribly with feelings as usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 09:33:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14639046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowshade/pseuds/Willowshade
Summary: Sasuke watched the commotion, feeling oddly away from it all. She watched Sakura approach his brother with resolute steps, and Sasuke was caught off guard by the way she carried herself.When did Sakura become so confident?She watched the two of them talk, and wasn't sure who was making her feel the most jealous.(Or- the classic growing up together fic, with some twists.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning - please read this before proceeding. 
> 
> Since the summary isn't all that clear and the tags can always pass unnoticed I will clarify it: This is a gender bender piece. Here *Sasuke is a girl*, you must read with this in mind. I wanted to explore what it would be like in a modern day sasusaku setting - of course this mare this a girls romance, eventually, we'll get there.
> 
> I have it all written down already, but will be posting the chapters separately, I think.
> 
> I don't have a betareader. Sorry the occasional mistake in grammar and structure, if pointed out I'll fix it.
> 
> Knowing this, I wish you a good reading. Feedback in any form will be very much appreciated.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Sasuke's favourite person is Itachi, she knows she's elite, and she finally makes a friend.

 

The Uchiha Family is blessed with two beautiful and bright children.

"Nisan!"

Itachi dropped his school backpack at the threats hold a huge smile appearing on his face.

"I'm Back! Mom, Sasuke!" He announces, taking off his shoes and neatly placing then at the door. Then he follow the daily ritual. He runs to hug his little sister, that awaits gingerly sitting in the sofa, pretending to not be really excited.

"Wah! Put me down!" She shrieks as her older brother lifts her by the arms and spin her in the air as if she weights nothing.

A soft chuckle follows. Mikoto laughs as she watches their antics, putting the book she was reading down. "Your sister is the cutest, isn't she?"

"She is." Itachi agrees, making Sasuke beams.

She loves itachi-nii. He is clearly her favorite since she was born, which makes her mother jealous sometimes. Itachi let her go, and sit besides her. As he grabs the controller of the Nintendo, he throws her an apologetic look.

He flicks her in the forehead. Sasuke imediatly pouts.

"Sorry, Sas." Its never good when he says her baby nickname, much less when the tap comes. She she is not surprised when he says. "I want to play mario cart today."

That isn't fair, Sasuke thinks, deflated. He was supposed to play with her today, with her new stuffed toy mom bought to her.

"Itachi." Mikoto intervenes. Sasuke is five, old enough to know that this is the tone of voice she meant to say "Sasuke is a girl and she is a lot younger than you".

Sasuke doesn't like it one bit. When mom helps her she feels uncool. And Mom never help Itachi, that is the coolest. Even people say so. They say he is mature, intelligent and sensible.

At five, she wants nothing more than be just like her bother. She sits by him and grab the other controller with meaning.

Itachi smiles to her, and her mother watches fondly. "Are you up to it?" He challenges.

"Yeah!" She cheers. She likes video game just as much, she just doesn't like loosing. But today she will beat him.

Perhaps reading the competitiveness in her, Itachi brushes a long streak of hair behind her ear and whisper. "Let's play with Mr. Dinasour after this."

\---

\--

-

 

She knew she was special. It was because she was an Uchiha.

Her parents never said so, not itachi-nii, but Sasuke was smart and she could notice people treated them differently. At dad's work, everyone would bow or nod when they walked. And she could get away a lot when messing around than usual.

Often, relatives she never remembered the name would come to eat in her house, and they would talk about the great things destined to her and Itachi. They were all serious and a bit boring, but she liked hearing them say they would be the pride of the family one day.

Her family was traditional, and they had made history and would again and again.

As much was she heard this, it got stuck in her mind. Every time her mother would bring to the dancing lessons, she would also hear it.

"Its tradition." Her mother would say first with pride, but then apologetically.

Sasuke was bad at ballet and was really embarrassing about it. But she couldn't quit. She laughed when she first saw the dance, thinking the skirts were silly and the girls standing at the point of her feet made her inch to push them to the ground.

When she was the one doing the ballone, there was nothing funny about it. Her feet hurt, the clothing was ugly, and she was really really bad at it. All the girls were better than her.

"Cmon, Sasuke-chan, you can do this." The teacher would cheer her own, and the girls too when she was out of pace or when she abandoned a position. But the encouragement only made her worse, because she couldn't focus with the growing tight knot in her throat.

Eventually, she would burst crying out of frustration. The class would stop making it a even bigger commotion.

"Now, now, Sasuke-chan" The teacher, a very than and thin woman was the most irritating. She would never stop fussing over her.

Sasuke bit her lips to keep the sobs away, turning her back to the huge mirror that insisted on showing her red faced. She hated crying. She hated crying when people would notice, most of all.

"You are bad at it, all right." A girl with blond hair and blue eyes had keeled before her. Sasuke growled, it was Ino Yamasomething.

"I know." She snapped, facing away.

"We are all bad before we get better." Ino said, smiling, making Sasuke dislike her more. Even she, the best dancer, was doing the cheer up. "You can keep crying or you can get up and try again."

"Shut up."

She snapped, making the girls pause, alarmed. Sasuke sobs dyed down, just knowing that they were shocked by the curse.

"I don't want your help. This is stupid."

Even the teacher was schocked then. Sasuke was fed up. "Ballet is stupid. I don't want to look... " she hesitated, she don't know much curse words so she repeated, heated. "I don't want to look stupid like you!"

Ino blue eyes glistened with tears and the teachers too. Unbeknownst to little sasuke, she feared for her career, since she owned it to the Uchiha.

And thus was the first time she made girls cry. It was also the first time she went against the tradition of the family. It would be a recurring trend. Her father was very disappointed.

\---

\--

-

Even after the ballet fiasco, Sasuke couldn't drop out.

She suffered thought it in Mondays and Tuesdays with the dignity of a martyr. The girls attitude chanced after that, they left her alone. Which was just fine by Sasuke.

On Tuesdays she also played tennis, and Wednesday she had piano classes. She was really good at both. On Friday she had classes with Kurenai-sensei, that taught her different things than she learned at school, like painting, or other times just helped her with the homework. Sasuke liked doing all of this activities, except dancing of course, and she would do it because it was the tradition, but she hated how she didn't have much time to play with Itachi-ni anymore because of her tight schedule.

"I don't want to go."

Sasuke woke up one morning and said she was done with school. Logically, it was the weakest link in her routine, since all the kids went to school and it wasn't a special Uchiha thing. Besides, Kurenai could teach her already, why did she need to go to that noisy place?

"Let's play, Nissan" she proudly announced as she descended the stairs, brandishing her pajamas as symbol of revolution. She met Itachi in the kitchen, just when he was eating breakfast.

It was perfect, since he studied in the afternoon, so they had the morning to themselves!

Itachi wasnt so thrilled by the idea.

"But... Why don't you like the school, Sasuke?" He asked, bowing down to her height, deciding the thought out decision of hers boiled down to this. Not even itachi-ni would get her sometimes, Sasuke thought, looking down as she played with the ends of her dark hair.

"Its just boring. I just sit all day." She mumbled, arms crossed over her chest.

Itachi frowned.

"Sit all day?" He echoed, then gave her his older-brother knowing look. "You don't have friends to play with you during lunch break?"

When Itachi asked like that she felt ashamed , even if she thought she wasn't bothered by it. Before she could reply, they heard steps rushing in the corridor.

"What is she still doing here?" Father's voice was closer and following it there was the maid's.

"I just couldn't make her change into the uniform." She was apologizing panicked.

Father appeared in the hall, dressed in a dark suit. "Sasuke, I'll take you to school." He said, his tone not leaving room for argument.

Usually she would be thrilled to spend time with her father, but just looking at his face she knew she was in trouble. She left without putting resistance. And the ride to her school never appeared so long in the silence of the car.

She expected him to ask what happened, even say he was disappointed, but he just kept the silence, and in a way it was worse.

\---

\--

-

 

"So what's happening?" Mikoto asked, worried.

The teacher sighed, looking at the paper she held. Outside of their room, the children were having PE class.

"Your daughter is very bright, Ms. Uchiha."

Mikoto knew that starting with a compliment asked for a but.

"She is isolated though. She isn't shy to answer aloud in class, or to participate in the exercises. But when comes time to play with other kids she never takes initiative to join. I've seem kids trying to befriend her and she usually brushes them off. She acts very reserved and aloof."

"But she is so energetic at home! She loves playing with her brother."

"Maybe that's so because she feels comfortable at home. Try to tell her to put a bit of effort into it."

\---

\--

-

 

Itachi-ni and her mom wouldn't let this subject drop, and it was ruining Sasuke's plans.

"So, did you make any friends today?" MIkoto asked her conversationally during dinner, oblivious to the tension in her daughter.

Not this again, not today! She thought, frantic, looking into her father direction.

He had his eyes downcast, looking at his meal, but he had heard, no doubt. She was crestfallen, what would dad think of her? He had just returned from a month trip and she was eager to try to impress him, and not to disappoint him further.

She had by now understood that not having friends at school was also a failure.

So she replied, curtly. "I talked to two girls." It wasn't a lie, she talked to them in the group project they were doing. She quickly changed the subject, as this wasn't supposed to be the focus of tonight.

"They gave us our report cards." She announces, neutrally, as if it's no big deal.

Itachi smiles at her. "I've seen it already, you two will be proud."

Sasuke grins at him, grateful, as she gives her parents the paper she had in her lap since the beginning of the dinner.

"Ah, look at this, honey!" Her mom squeaks. "Top marks in all subjects. Congratulations!"

Sasuke beams, but she is still anxious about her father feedback. He finally glances at her. "Well done, as expected of an Uchiha."

Sasuke smiles again, but something feels wrong. It didn't make her feel as glad as she thought it would. She eats her dinner in unusual quietness and head straight to her bedroom. When she opens the door, Itachi is crouched at the ground, besides countless pieces of a puzzle.

"Finally, you've come to help me!" Sasuke exclaims, sitting besides her brother. It was a 500 pices puzzle, the biggest she had yet to play with. It was the image was of one smiling Pikachu.

"I thought you looked upset at the dinner." Her brother says as he fits a peice in the puzzle. "Is it because of dad?"

A pause.

Sasuke felt her face hot at his mentioning of it, her eyes filled with tears.

"I wanted him to say "as expected of my child", just like he says when you make him proud." She said, tone wavering, she tries to put a piece in many places but it refused to fit. Itachi immediately went to her side and put a hand in her back.

"He never looks at me." As Sasuke kept talking, all the feelings of rejection she had swallowed down came to surface. "All he talks is about you."

Itachi sights. "Dad isn't good at expressing himself. But he loves you too."

Sasuke blinks back her tears. She doesn't tell her she thinks he loves Itachi more because she doesn't want to upset him. He simply is always asking questions about Itachi's school, and praising him to relatives.

"Now he will think I can't even make friends right." She mutters.

Itachi flickers her in the forehead. She looks up at him and he's smiling.

"Don't be so gloomy, little sis. Before you know it, you'll have lots of friends."

\---

\--

-

 

Despite Itachi's and her mother's incentives, it was only in the end of her first year of school that she found her best friend.

Sasuke knew that girls usually moved in groups, pairs, at the least. So it was very easy to realize her position was different in class.

But as of late, she was comforted by the fact she wasn't the only one always by herself.

There was a girl with green eyes. Sakura Haruno, as in for spring. She also didnt play with anyone at the breaks. She usually spent her free time reading, when she was not being picked on because of her large forehead. When that happened, she hid and cried, Sasuke could tell, because of the way her eyes would remain red at class.

One day she decided to intervene in the bullying. She crossed the patio and looked at meanly at the three girls surrounding Sakura.

"What are you doing?" She asked, very serious.

Sasuke couldn't understand why she wasn't picked on like Sakura, instead the girls were wary of her. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the popular Ino hated her guts and avoided her like plague.

Her question itself was already enough to break their formation surrounding their victmin.

"We and the forehead are just chatting." One them said defiantly.

Sasuke smiled.

"This doesn't look like a good conversation to me. She doesn't seem to be liking it." The girls were tended speechless. "Let's ask Sakura what she wants to do."

Sasuke then looked at her the first time in her eyes. "Do you want to stay with them or to leave with me?"

" I.." Her voice was horse by crying. "I'll go with Sasuke-san."

Sasuke smiled, feeling incredibly proud of herself as she held Sakurras wrists and pushed her away from the girls. Much to her surprise the girl didn't stop crying at it.

"Don't worry, I won't pick at you." Sasuke tried to reassure her.

"I know, thank ahh-you" Sakura replied, between sobs that didn't seem to be quieting down. Sasuke was both dismayed but also a little more warmed by the fact she wasn't the only one in crying fits that didn't seem to stop at the most odd times.

They sat by the shadow of a large willow, Sasuke's favourite spot in the patio. The silence lingered for a bit more,and she decided to cut the chase.

"Let's be friends Sakura." She told her, suddenly feeling shy. She was susprised how the idea never occurred to her before, it was such a great idea.

Then she added, more sure of herself. "If they decided to pick on you again I will be there to stop them."

Sakura immediately stopped crying, she didn't even seem to be breathing for a second. Then she gasped, a huge smile appeared in her tear streaked face.

"Yes! Yes!" She agrees, beaming. "I've always wanted to be friends with you, Sasuke-san"

She was taken back. "Why?"

Sakura smiled at him, her eyes shining with admiration, an expression she would earn to see every time.

"You like reading just like me. And you are really smart. You are also the cutest, and the coolest girl in our class! You seem so mature and confident, and the thing you just did for me, talking back to Immi, Kioko and Lilychan was awesome!"

She said it in just one breath, shoeing her bubbly side Sasuke didn't get to see yet. As for Sasuke, she felt bashful but immensely proud of the praises, it sounded just like people would fuss over Itachi, excepted maybe the "cute" part, but hearing it warmed her chest too.

Looking at her shiny black shoes, Sasuke decided she liked having a friend.

"You are wrong, Sakura, you are the cutest in our class."

Sakura did a thing that made Sasuke curious, she went red, almost matching the color of the shirt she wore. She was almost worried, if not for the fact she was smiling again.

"You are really nice too, Sasuke-san" she said modestly, as if she couldn't believe her.

"Tch." she clicked her tongue. "Just call me Sasuke."

\---  
\--  
-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and reviews makes me happy!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Sakura's Sasuke best friend, that's not up for discussion, then she guess Naruto is fun too, but she won't ever admit it. Then she finds out a disturbing thing about Sakura.

Her mother was thrilled every time to receive Sakura in her house. She would prepare them a special lunch, with one or two baked goods. Sasuke didn't care much about it, but Sakura loved it.

"May I have another, Mikoto-san?"

"Yes of course!"

Her mom loved how polite and cute Sakura was. Her excitement was rivaled only by Sasuke, that had never thought she would have so much fun having a playmate around her age.

"Are you done yet?" She asked, eager for them to play outside. Sakura just stuffed the cookie in her mouth and got up from the table.

"Yeah!"

Sasuke laughed at her. "If you don't stop eating so many sweets your teeth will fall out."

"That's a lie." Sakura retorted, confident in her knowlegde. "My mom says this all the time. But your milk teeth are supposed to naturally fall."

Sasuke just snorted, Sakura was such a smartass.

When they were about to head out, they ran into Itachi returning from school. Sasuke went to him and hugged his stomach, as usual. She saw that Itachi was looking curiously at Sakura, so she explained:

"This is Sakura, the friend I told you about." She felt immensely proud as she said that. She notice Sakura's wide eyes and her compressed shouders, so she whispered, just so her brother would hear:

"She's shy."

Itachi nodded imperceptibly.

He smiled in a disarming way, stepping away from her sister.

"Nice to meet you Sakura-chan. I'm Sasuke older brother." He said as he kneeled in the ground.

"Likewise." She replied, bowing lowly.

Sasuke rolled her eyes. By now he was used to Sakura's habit of wording things weidly. Though it only made her be picked on more.

"She's really cute, Sasuke." He added, making Sakura blush, and Sasuke to nod enthusiastically.

"Well now. I'll leave you two to play." Itachi got up, and waved at them. Sakura watched his retreating back, a smile on her face.

"Your brother's really cool!" She squeaks, grabbing Sasuke's hands.

"Indeed." She teased, mimicking Sakura's way of talking.  
\---  
\--  
-  
 

"No fair!" Naruto shouted indignant, he had been trying to reach the ball being thrown over his head for the past minutes to no avail. Being brash as he was, he quickly lost his patience. "Let's play another thing!"

"It's not our fault you are such a midget." Sasuke replied, making Sakura giggle.

"What's a midget?!" Naruto shouted, knowing it couldn't be anything good. It made Sakura giggle harder, and her concentration slip. She missed the ball Sasuke tossed to her side. Naruto, even if smaller than the two was the most agile, and ran to grab it.

"Aha!" He shouted triufantly. "Now you are caught, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke scowled, and Sakura apologized lightly to her as she positioned herself between them. Naruto and Sasuke passed the ball to each other synchronized, and Sakura span fruitless trying to grab it for minutes.

Watching her expression become troubled, Sasuke decided to change the game.

"AHHH!" Naruto shouted as Sasuke hit his head with the ball straight to his face. "You did that on propose, you teme!"

"Your big head was in the way, that's all!"

The girls chuckled, both of them liking to tease the blond. He was also a loner, just like the two of them, and a troublemaker. He had a crush on Sakura and a problem with Sasuke attitude. Somehow they've become fast friends.

He had Naruto was so pissed that he gave up the game and chased Sasuke across the patio, as she run, laughing. The two were so into it that they forgot about Sakura.

She stood by the grass, holding the ball, a small smile to her face.  
\---  
\--  
-  
 

Sakura oftenly slept over Sasuke's house.

She would bring her red backpack with her with clothes, her homework, and her favourite toys.

They were playing house at her room, Sasuke with a lot less enthusiasm than her friend. Some time ago she decided that such plays were boring. Perhaps it had something to do with Naruto teasing every time she acted a bit more girlish. It was never declared outright, but both were rivals.

I still beat you in the video game each time loser, she thought, growling.

Sensing that something was off with her friend, Sakura put her doll aside.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Naruto" Sasuke spat. "He is so annoying." He was loud, dumb and whatever he said greeted at her nerves.

Sakura face become downcast suddenly. "But he is your best friend."

"No." Sasuke was mortified. "No, you are my best friend Sakura!"

She looked up at him, eyes shinning. "Really?"

Sasuke nodded energetically. Actually, Sakura was right, but Sasuke at the age wasn't willing to admit such friendship with the blonde.

"Then..." She become serious again. "Do you like Naruto?"

"No!" Sasuke almost jumped in the bed as she said it. "That's disgusting!"

"You two are so funny." Sakura giggled, covering her smile with her hands.

A pause.

"But, you know, every girl must have a crush on someone." She said, so confidently like she did answering a question in class.

"Well, I don't." Sasuke knew about crushes, she thought it was a stupid thing. Take the way Naruto made a fool of himself in the front of Sakura, for example. Or the way some boys would become red in the face when she looked at them.

Wait. "Does this mean you have someone you like, Sakura?"

The girl flushed dark. "Yeah, I do."

"Who?" Sasuke demanded, frantic.

"Itachi-san." She said, hesitantly, successfully drawing Sasuke's mind to a blank.

"...Are you serious?" She asked, after a long pregnant silence.

"Yeah." She said, eyes wide, apprehensive.

"But..." Sasuke couldn't seem to process it. "But he is older than you."

Sakura smiled cheeky. "One day I will grow up, too."

"But that will take long, he will probably find some girl his own age until then." She said, not knowing why she was sounding so mean. "Besides, to you, you're just the friend of his small sister."

Sakura's smile dimished.

"You think this is stupid."

"Well, yeah." Sasuke didn't bother to lie. She threw herself over the bed, eying Sakura with distrust. "Now I can see why you act like that around him, like a love sicked puppy."

Sakura loved to show off how smart she was around Itachi, that kindly asked her plenty of questions. And she blushed a lot. Sasuke had suspected something was up in a while, but she didn't know the reason behind it. Of course, this could only happen. Itachi was awesome, and Sakura was too smart to be interested in any of the boys of their age. Still, she thought Sakura would be even smarter and ignore this crushing matter altogether.

"I don't like it." Sasuke declared, looking at the ceiling.

"I knew you would say so." Her friend said, deflated. "I shouldn't have told you. Even if you don't like it, I am not giving up."

Sasuke looked at her, surprised, they rarely disagreed on things. She saw her forehead furrowed, Sakura was upset but also determined.

"Don't say that, You can tell me anything, Sakura." She said, getting up to sit besides her in the bed. "Even if I don't like it." She gazed into her eyes guarded eyes.

"I want to know everything about you." She added, quietly.

Sakura turned a delicate shade of pink, but her expression didn't change.

"But you're always teasing me when I tell you something important." Sakura eye's riimed with tears. "Sometimes, I think I must look silly to you."

"No, that's not true." Sasuke was loosing control of the situation here. She grabbed Sakura's hands into her own.

"I'm sorry if sometimes I sound harsh." Sasuke could recall clearly all the times her mom scolded her for her snarky replies. "I don't like this crushes, but it's better that you like Itachi than some stupid boy."

At this Sakura smiled. "Like Naruto?"

"Exactly." Sasuke grimmaced.

"But even so... Why do you like Itachi like that anyways?"

"Well, he is intelligent, handsome and cool. He also has really pretty eyes, and I like talking to him. He threats me like an adult - differently for certain people." She said, smirking at her.

"Oh please, pretty eyes?" Sasuke made a throwing up noise. "I threat you just fine, it's just that you are a crybaby."

Sakura fummed, she pushed Sasuke shoulder with surprisingly strenght, knocking her back to the matress "There, you just did it again!"

"Sorry." She glared, grabbing Sakura's wrist. "I guess I was mad at hearing about his endless qualities, from you, of all people."

Her eyes softened, and Sasuke felt she could see right through her. So she pushed Sakura to the bed with her and tackled her stomach, tickling her.

"Ahh- haa, stop it!" Sakura laughed trying to push her away.

"If Itachi has pretty eyes, then mine are too. We look a lot alike." She said, grinning with the effort to contain Sakura. "Thanks for the compliment."

Sakura broke away of her hold and poked her ribs painfully, earning something that was both a laugh and a sharp intake of breath from Sasuke.

"Naruto's right, you are so full of yourself!"

"Arg-" That hurt, Sasuke thought. "Stop it- haha!" Sakura was pinning her with her legs in a crushing way, and she couldn't shake her away. "Sorry- ah- let go!"

"I'll let go when you admit that I am superior!"

Sasuke glared. "Never."

Sakura started giggling and lost the strength in her grip. Sasuke used the opportunity to switch her positions and attack Sakura's stomach again, making her laugh until her eyes watered. She was in the process of capturing her arms in a hold when there were three knocks on the door.

"Girls?"

It was Itachi. At hearing his voice Sakura blushed. Sasuke just rolled her eyes.

"Dinner is ready."

"Coming!" Sakura annunced, brushing Sasuke off really easily. She was hurriedly fixing her hair and straighting her clothes, sporting a small smile on her face.

"I've got it all planned, Sas." She grinned to the discarded Sasuke in the bed, showing off edgy teeth. "If I marry him, we two would be in the same family."

"Together forever." She added.

"Yay." Sasuke replied, halfhearthly.

Hopefully, it was just a fleeting crush.  
\---  
\--  
-  
   
It wasn't. In fact, in the following years, Sakura's infatuation only grew to the point it irked Sasuke.

She had considered inviting her less into her house, so she wouldn't meet her brother, but she liked the company too much to be this selfish. Besides, her family had no problem inviting her themselves.

"Itachi wants me to invite you to his spar tonight, Sakura." She said causally, after-class, when the kids were already leaving.

He watched the way she jumped in place and punched the air in excitement.

"Heck yes!" She let out a wail of victory, bringing a smile to Sasuke's lips. "I've dying to see him in his fighting gear!"

Her dark haired friend snorted. As if being summoned out of nowhere, Naruto passed in the corridor, followed by Kiba and Shino. He was arguing something with Kiba, when Sasuke stepped forth.

"Hey, dobe." She called, effectively ending their conversation. Kiba looked wide-eyed at her, his infatuation was one of the most annoying.

Naruto scowled. "...As I was saying before the teme interrupted me.."

Sasuke was about to retort, when Sakura popped out in between them, stopping the argument before it began.

"Naruto, Itachi's inviting us to see him earn his black belt!"  
\---  
\--  
-  
   
Naruto and Sakura had similar faces of wonder as they watched Itachi perform.

Sasuke had seem what his brother could do, and was less surprised, but she couldn't help a feeling both proud and envious of him. She had convinced her mother to allow her to drop out the dancing class last year, and start martial arts but she still was nowhere as good as her brother.

It wasn't in any way traditional, or an Uchiha-like interest, the clan truly beleive in the ideal Nadeshiko of women, but she insisted. Father had scowled but said nothing else. At this point she was thinking she would never please him.

He was watching his son, too, besides his mother. Somehow he never found the time to watch her dance. Perhaps that was for the best, as she had all the grace of a swimming brick.

Itachi finished his last kata with one fluid kick in the air, before returning his feet to the tatami with controlled movements. He stood straight and in silence, and let out a breath, just as the crowd started to cheer.

His brother smiled and shook hands and thanked the compliments of the people flocking to him.

A lot of them were Uchihas, some were friends of Itachi. His friends were a particularly bunch of weird looking guys and a girl that looked just like one, with severely cropped hair. The fact they were artsy supposed explained their eccentricity. Some others were colleagues from the dojo, and there was Naruto and Sakura that were almost adopted siblings at this point.

Sasuke watched the commotion, feeling oddly away from it all. He watched Sakura approach his brother with resolute steps, and she was almost caught off guard by the way she carried herself.

When she became so confident?

She watched the two of them talk, and wans't sure who was making her feel the most jealous.  
\---  
\--  
-

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Kudos and reviews make me happy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Sasuke is way too old to be picking fights, but too young to understand that something is shifting in her life.

Naruto, of all people, was into romance now.

Like seriously, and not only crushing. He had dropped his pursuit of Sakura, for that Sasuke was glad, but he now seemed transfixed by Hyuuga Hinata. But what was more intriguing than Naruto's discovery of the opposite sex was the fact that the Hyuuga obviously liked him since they were toodlers, and Naruto took years to figure it out. 

The girl fainted when Naruto smiled at her, for god's sake. Her crush was almost an urban-legend by now.

Sasuke was gazing at his dumb expression as Hinata waved him goodbye after class. 

"I agree, she's pretty." Sasuke conceded to a long-held argument with Naruto, looking at her retreating back, her long straight her falling to her rounded hips. 

"Finally, huh?" Naruto grinned, punching her in the shoulder. Two year ago, and Sasuke would've lost her balance, but since she started training on martial arts her physique has strengthened a lot.

She smirked at him, all teeth.

"Those breasts of hers are too out of proportion to her short size, though." She said blandly, amused by how Naruto went red from her words.

"So you are a boob's type, figures." 

"Shut up!" Naruto shouted, getting into her face. "You don't get to talk about her like that!"

"Haw haw." Sasuke smirked wider, shoving him hard backwards. "I'm just saying the truth." 

"You're a bastard, you know that?" Naruto said, furious, trying to hold himself not to shove her back. 

As much as her friends being such saps was annoying, at least it gave her a good arsenal to tease them.

"Cmon, just try me. You know you can't defeat me." She baited, getting into a fighting stance. 

To her annoyance, Naruto laughed at her.

"You are ridiculous, Sasuke." He said, his scowl morphing into a grin. "I won't fight a girl."

"Ah, now you talk as if you have manners." She says darkly, mad that he called her ridiculous. "You did fight me a lot in the past - and you got your ass handed to you." 

Naruto replied, readly. "Funny. I remember another stuff. Like you crying a lot, and Sakura hushing to save you, poor baby." 

Any mentioning of weakeness was Sasuke beserk button. At this, she flushed in anger and shame, loosing her cool.

"Keep Sakura out of this." She growled.

"Did you notice..." the blond said, grinning fox-like. "... That even Sakura is getting some boobs as of late? But yours are still some sorry shit. You must be really jealous of Hinata."

Sasuke punch produced a satisfying crunch, a sound so satisfying she could even forget how her hand hurt after hitting Naruto's cheek.

Playing it over and over in her head, she could dissociate from the current scowldig she was getting from her mother, as she drove her car like crazy in the streets.

"I can't believe you still pick fist fights with Naruto, Sasuke!" She screamed. "No, actually, this time you just attacked him!"

She huffed, crossing her arms as she looked through the window. "He chose not to fight back, it's his loss." 

"Sasuke, you do realize you are a girl and naruto is a boy." She said, her tone subsiding. "Soon he will be twice your size. He did right by not fighting back." 

"So what?" She said, feeling anger cloud her vision again. "With my technique I would have defeated him anyways, even in a disadvantage in strength." 

Mikoto huffed in frustration.

"I knew I shouldn't have allowed you to starting learning how to fight." She looked at her, cold.

"It did nothing for your temper, and it only made you more conceited." Her mother looking at her like she was disappointed. And it hurt. "If I hear you are causing trouble again at school - one more time - and I will withdraw you from all of your classes-"

"No, you can't!" Sasuke interrupted. 

"The ninjutsu AND the muay-thai one." She completed, with finally. "Do you understand?" 

Sasuke didn't reply, instead she thew the passenger door open before her mother could start to park in their garage.

She was so mad she hit the door closed with a loud noise, not caring if she was acting childish. Then she run down the road, ignoring her mother distressed calls. She run three blocks and turned left. Then she stood, panting, by the bus stop. It wasn't even a full minute before the bus appeared and she climbed onto it. 

Ten minutes later she was in the yard of Sakura's house, cursing her stupidity at having forgotten her backpack in the car, with her cellphone in it. She looked at the window, far in the back, trying to guess if Sakura was in her room.

Carefully, she crossed the lawn, keeping her eyes watching the front door, that if opened, would reveal her position. Sasuke knelled down to make herself even less visible, and knocked once in the closed window with her outstreched arm.

Some seconds later, she heard movement, and the lid of the window was open.

"It's me Sakura." She said, making the girl jump in fright. 

"Sasuke! Oh my god. You couldn't have killed me." She replies, sticking her head outside to look at her hunched figured in the grass. Her hair was pushed back with a pin, revealing her worried eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked, sensing Sasuke was upset. 

"Can I come in, first?"

"Sure." She said, offering her hand. Sasuke grasped it, and ducked her head to enter the room. 

"Thanks." She said, looking around as she found herself in Sakura's room.

She had the desk filled with books and sheets, no doubt she was studying. The wall were covered by a large wardrobe and by posters of rock bands and motivational quotes written in styled kanji. Her bed was well made, her sheets were the same color of the dusk outside. It's been a while since she had last been there, they usually hung out more in the Uchiha's house.

Sakura kneeled in the ground, and sat besides her.

"Now tell me." 

Sasuke did. She told her of the fight, of the trip to the school's principal room, the tense wait she and Naruto had to endure until their parents arrived. The scolding she earned from her mom, and the threats she gave her. 

By the end of it, her voice was high with emotion, and her hands trembled from anger. 

Sakura rested a hand on her shoulder, gently, making Sasuke look at her for the first time since she started her tale.

She was golden in the sun-setting, her eyes were made a warmer shade of green, as the sun lit it with red hues, and her skin glowered.

She let her gaze slide from her eyes, to her lips painted with glossy lipstick - that Sakura has been using as of late - to her neck adorned with a silvery chain, to finally rest on her chest. She critically eyed the soft curve in that area. Yes, Naruto was right, Sakura was small, but bigger than her already. 

"Er." Sakura cleared her throat, embarrased.

Knowing she followed her stare, Sasuke glanced away, flushing.

"Sorry. It's just..." She coudln't believe she was checking Sakura out so blatantly. "... What Naruto said stuck in my mind."

Sakura sighed.

"Naruto is an idiot, as if us girls aren't insecure enough." She declared, before adding. "But you were the one to start it, this time. You should've known better than to tease him about Hinata."

"I know." She said, allowing her head to fall and hit the wall behind them. "I was pissed off, and just needed to vent on someone." Sasuke admitted.

"That's usually how it goes, no?" Sakura said, not unkindly, but with a note of tiredness in her voice. 

Sasuke glanced back at her, wanting to tell she had a reason to be angry this time:

"I heard some girls calling me a bitch this morning in the PE class." Sasuke wasn't exactly popular with the female population. 

Sakura's expression darkened. "Who? I'm going to kick their asses." 

Sasuke laughed. Sakura might actually be stronger than her. In muay-thai classes her kicks hurt a lot, even with the protection to stop them from hitting flesh. 

"Funny how quickly you fall into violence yourself." Sasuke smirked.

Sakura grinned, pushing her shoulder. "It's always right to fight if you are defending a friend." 

"I don't need defending." She pointed out, allowing herself to fall to the floor from the momentum. Sakura grabbed her arm before it, and dragged them to the bed, complaining about the coldness of the piles. 

"Still.." Sasuke drawled laying on her stomach.

Slowly, she smirked. "Hinata's boobs freak me out." 

Sakura giggled, sitting cross legged besides her.

"Me too, how come they are so big?" 

"Can I see yours?" 

Both of them froze.

She wasn't thinking when the words left her mouth. Sasuke's eyes flashed to Sakura's intend on following her reaction. Much to her surprise, Sakura wasn't as shocked as she thought, even if her face glowed red, her expression was poised.

Sakura may like Itachi, but she sure blushes a lot around me too, Sasuke thinks, not without a sense of satisfaction.

"You mean-" She started. "Without a top?" 

Yeah. Sasuke feels her own face hot.

"You don't need to do it, Sakura. I was just kidding." She said, chuckling, before it spiraled out of control. 

"Hah." She was granted a forced smile. "For a second I thought you was actually serious about it." 

"Nah. I figured the first person you would like to show them would be Itachi, so I wouldn't take that away from you." 

That earned her painfully slap to her arm.

"Ouch." She said, eloquently. 

"I doubt that he would like the view, though." Sakura murmured, falling to the bed besides her. "I mean, you see how small they are." She sighed. "I am bellow the avarage in all departments, breats and ass, and face. The only thing that isn't average is my forehead." 

"Nonsense. You're beautiful."

"You're a lot more pretty than me, Sasuke." 

It always enraged her a little when Sakura compared herself to her.

"I don't see it." He meant that she thought Sakura was way prettier. But appearanly Sakura heard it like a sign to give pep talk.

Sakura got up to look at her.

"Look at you. Your face is perfect. Your skin is pale and soft-" She said it as she brushed her cheek, making Sasuke bat her hand away. "Your eyes are deep and dark, like you see into other people's souls." -How cheesy - Sasuke retorted. "And your hair is just a unnatural black that looks like blue in the right light. And you are slender and elegant like a model." 

She felt her heartbeat pace up with Sakura words hamming in her ears. Sasuke considered the pros and cons, and decided for a rare display of weakness. She looked at the ceiling as she said:

"Would you be surprised if I said I don't like how I look in the slightest?" 

Sakura's gasp was answer enough. "Why?" 

Sasuke sighed. "I just look like a failed copy of my mom, Sakura. And it feels wrong. I want to look like my own person."

There was a long pause, before she got a reply.

"I see. You mean you'd like your looks to externalize better your personality?" 

"Exactly." Sasuke coudln't say it better. She knew something was up when he saw Sakura all pensative.   
\---  
\--  
-

"Tomorrow is it." Sakura announced first thing as they met in the dojo. 

Sasuke ignored her and kept putting her weight in place. 

"You are not post ponning it any longer." Sakura threatened. "You'll have your visual change in your birthday party next week." 

Sasuke started the warm up, leavning Sakura talking by herself. Soon enough, her friend reached her, and jogged in pace with Sasuke as they run around the training mat. 

"Quit avoiding the subject, dammnit!" Sakura cried. She always looked a cute flustered and pissed off.

Despite her dismissal of Sakura's idea, she was thinking about it, hard.

She couldn't stop being bothered bu the way her ponytail glued to her neck when she was all sweat, after training. And she was still haunted by the dress her mom bought her for her to wear at her party. 

"Fine." She agreed, when she trained her punches against Sakura. "But you need to do it too."

She grimaced, Sasuke didn't know if was by the effort or by her condition.

"But it's not my birthday. I won't have any excuse for spending money on hair and clothing. My mom wouldn't allow it. I need to wait till I turn sixteen." 

"I already said I will pay for you. And it won't be that expensive, since we will do it at home." She said, as they exchanced positions. Sakura's right hook hit her glove with a crushing sound. "That's it, or nothing." 

"Ugh, you win!" Sakura shouted, throwing her hands in frustration. 

Sasuke smirked.

When they were heading to the showers, after training, she asked. "What's your favourite color again?"

"What."

She replied, as she entered the private shower. Sasuke entered in the one besides her, so they could keep talking. They never took the open showers, both were pretty reserved when it came to these things. 

"It's pink, isn't it?" Sasuke tried, already under water. She run the soap in the large gap between her breasts, to her tonnedstomach, she was so prideful of. 

"Actually, it's red." Sakura shouted.

Sasuke trying to envision Sakura as a red head. It would look good, but not right. Besides, her name was Sakura.

When she told Sakura of her idea she was met with surprisingly weak resistence, which made her suspect it wasn't the first time Sakura had thought about dying her hair some unusual color. It was all the rage this year, too.   
\---  
\--  
-

"But don't you think pink is too girlish?" She was having doubts though, as she sat in the edge of the bathtub, a towel wrapped around her body. "It'll make me look even more of a kid."

Sasuke was unimpressed.

"Just trust me when I say it will look hot on you. Plus, I've already bough the dye." She was checking the plastic gloves in her hands and the instructions on the bottle, trying to avoid look at Sakura. 

"Why me first?" 

"Because I said so." Sasuke said, as she plastified Sakura's back, to keep the dye from touching her skin. As her protests died for good, Sasuke starting applying the dye to strands of brown hair that the girls had separated with pins.

It felt nice to touch her like that, Sasuke couldn't avoid thinking, even if it felt intimate in a unproper way.

She also liked how her she was sat with her back turned, almost fitted in the gap of her open legs. If she leaned a bit forward, her breath would ghost her neck, successfully rising goosebumps every time she thought she could get carried away with it, not knowing why she was teasing her like that.

Sakura would respond by keeping very still, breathing minimally. 

"Ok." Sakura said, once her now to be pink hair was wet and secured with pins. She was still in towel and Sasuke didn't know what to feel by the fact that she could see all of her frame tightly against the fabric.

It made her feel odd. A little light in the head.

"Your turn." Sakura said, turning her back. 

But Sasuke had no intents of wrapping herself in a towel. At this, she took off her t shirt and pants, standing in only a racerback top and boxer panties. 

"Little hearts, that's cute." Sakura said, giggling. Just then Sasuke realized she was talking about her underwear. 

She went bright red. "It's my mom that buys this shit for me." She mumbled, embarrassed and weirded  
out by the fact she felt a bit excited. 

"Ohh, now you look even more mature!" Sakura kept the teasing. 

"Shut up." She said harsh, but a small smile was stretching her lips. Then she changed the subject. "Since the hair will fall everywhere, let's do it inside the bathtub." It was actually a ofuro, so it could fit both of them easily.

It was her time to give her back to Sakura.

She started brushing her dark locks back with a comb, unknowingly massaging her scalp, bringing forth again that odd feeling. Then she tied her long hair in a tight ponytail in the base of her nape.

"You sure about it?" She said, read to cut it off.

"Cut it." 

And with few movements of the scisoor, more than half of her hair was already falling to the ground.

"Keep going." 

"But I don't know how to cut it." Sakura protested, as she ran her fingers in the length that brushed Sasuke's shoulders. At this, she closed her eyes, lingering in the sensation. 

"Cut it shorter in the back, I don't care how it looks." She cared more about Sakura's hands on her neck though. It felt so light without the weight of her hair.

Sakura did as she was told, cutting it so her nape was really short. 

"Thanks." She said, as Sakura put the scissor down. She was anxious for the results. The mirror caught her their reflection, it was almost unbelievable. Instead of long, long hair she now had a almost male cut. It looked cool.

Sakura, now with pink hair, sat close to her back, as she ran her hands on her now spiky locks, sporting a small smile on her face. Her towel was slipping showing a lot of collarbone and a bit of cleavage. 

Sasuke couldn't look away.

"I don't trust my hairdresser skills much, but I am sure everything would look good on you." Sakura reassured, smiling, as she got up. 

Sasuke stood as well, feeling a bit in a daze. Impulsively, she ran her hands on Sakura's back, all the way to her waist to the top of her back, pushing her towel up.

"Careful, it's almost falling." She said, ever the helpful friend.

"T-thanks." 

She didn't linger to see Sakura's expression, but hearing her shaky voice was almost enough. She hoped she wouldn't regret this boldness.  
\---  
\--  
-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and reviews makes me happy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> And then everything changes.

"What have you DONE to your hair!" was the first thing she heard as she opened the door. Electro was already playing in distance mixed with sound of chatter. "Turn around, NOW!"

Sasuke just rolled her eyes, and humored her friend. "I didn't realize you were my fashionista, Naruto."

"Hahaha!" The blonde laughed. "In the front it's okay, but in the back... It just like a duck's but." 

Sasuke pushed him inside, not at all gently, then she stood aside for Hinata Hyuuga to pass. She wore a bellow the knees flowing white dress that completely covered her breast as fabric wrapped around her neck like a choker. Even so, her chest was attention catching as were her wide hips. She looked so feminine in her curves, nothing like the angles she had, even Sakura, to a lesser extent.

Looking at her she was reminded of the dress she was supposed to wear and glad that she stated talking about styles divergences with her mom. She wore tight black pants, with her favourite combat boots, added with nirvana band tshirt that hang low on her shoulders. Her hair was cropped severely, and she liked it how the back felt weightless. It was a little spikey, since her hair was ticky and not completely straight as Sakura's.

She was a little self conscious about it, not that she would let Naruto know. 

"I think you look great Sasuke-san." Hinata complimented, as always polite. Sasuke nodded and thanked her lowly. She would never understand how she and Naruto worked as a couple. It probably involved loads of patience from Hinata.

"Hinata honey, you're always so nice" Naruto gushed, making a vein pop in Sasuke forehead. Then he smirked at her. "And shouldn't you be dressing up more in your special day? Man, imagine Sasuke wearing a freaking dress!"

"Keep your fantasies to yourself Naruto." Sasuke deadpanned, feeling a bit awkward bantering in the front of his girlfriend like that. She also disliked hearing comments about her appearance so she changed the subject. 

"You just have to see Sakura." She said, grinning. She proud of her work like Picasso was when she did guernica, probably. Sakura now had a hair fit for someone with her name.

"Wait, don't tell me you gave her a stupid haircut like yours!" 

Sasuke bit her cheek, holding down a curse since Hinata was there. She might be pissed, but she was still a polite host. So she led them from to corridor to the living room, where other guests from school were gathered. Her mother was serving drinks, and Itachi was chating amiable to Sakura in the garden outside. Her father, of course, was working and couldn't attend. 

She strolled to her brother's side just in time to her the end of a embarrassing story about her as a baby. They both were laughing as she glared at them, cleared not amused. As of late Itachi was acting like all nostalgic, and started bullshit talks like "my sister is all grown up", just to spite her she was sure.

"Yeah, yeah. I was a dumb kid." She said glaring at both.

Itachi grinned back, he looked elegant as always in a dark shirt and dark pants. Sakura was blushing - no shit - Sasuke bet she was thrilled by her bother's attention. Sakura went all the way dressing up. Make up. A red tunic that was tight around her stomach and as it descended her feet, two lateral cuts allowed movement and showed her legs. Her pink locks held back by a shiny hairpin.

"Red goes well with your hair." Sasuke couldn't help but remark, smiling. She loved the bubblegum pink hue Sakura now sported. 

"It does." Itachi agreed. "You have excelent taste." 

"Not as much as you, Itachi-san." She replied, surprisingly smooth. "You are always the best dressed man."

Sasuke left as they started trowing compliments around. What a boring conversation.  
\---  
\--  
-

Unfortunately for her, the night just went downhill from there. Naruto was all over Hinata to socialize or to play guitar hero with her. And it wasn't only him. The number of couples among her colleges seemed to increase exponentially before she could realize, and there was a lot of wall-pressing around. All the talk was gossip and speculations on who was seeing who, and Sasuke had no patience for such subjects. 

Why did she agree to this birthday party deal again? She didn't even like socializing.

It was because Sakura asked her to do it. It was her idea. 

She was the center of the attention all night, receiving enthusiastic feedback on her looks, mostly from the guys. And it annoyed her every-time. Itachi, even though he tried to stay away from the movement, was dragged into it since Sakura would keep following him around.

Sasuke was pissed. All the compliments she received on her hair flew completely over her head. At the same time she was enraged when she realized that she did care about something as trivial as her hair and her looks. Most of all, she just wanted Sakura to say it looked good, and she hadn't said a word about it yet, and it was almost two days since she cut it. Sasuke figured she was too busy, being flocked by males in the vicinity. No doubt all the testosterone was getting to her, stirring her strogens, since she was smiling a lot, and laughing a little too loudly.

She is so fucking swallow, Sasuke thought, turning her plastic cup into a ball under her grip. How can't she realize they just see her like a fucking piece of meat?

Sasuke successfully avoided her the majority of the party, by sticking with Shikamaru and Gaara, playing video game. 

Sakura just made point to be beside her when her mother brought the cake. It had a 15 on it, in form of candles. They guests started singing happy birthday. "Happy birthday, Sasuke.!" She said smiling.

But all Sasuke could see though, was her lips redded and slitely pufy, just as if...

Sakura pulled her into a hug, just when the realization dawned in her. It made her hug her a little tighter, and she whispered in her ear.

"Was the make out good, Sakura?" 

Sasuke then left her quickly, her withdraw was sharp like a slap. She takes pleasure at how Sakura's paled. That, she supposed, had salved the day.

She doesn't see Sakura again until the end of the party, and her absence doesn't bother her.

It's when their eyes meet in the backyard that Sasuke feels like molten lava's been shoved down her throat. Sakura has pushed her knees against her chest as she sits in the step, cellphone in her hands. Her dark make up is blurred by tears she no doubt shed and her mouth has no trace of the coral lipstick she had adorned it. Her new pink hair makes her look paler in the shadows.

Her expression is crushed, like she is about to burst into sobs. When she parts her lips as if to say something, Sasuke leaves.

She turned her back and walked into the house again before pink haired girl had the chance. Her hand grips the doorknob with unnecessary force as her heartbeat drums against her ears. The impulse to run to her friend and console her was easily overtaken by the toxic anger her sight stired in Sasuke.

No more than three minutes later, Sasuke hears a car parking outside. Sakura's going home with her parents. They wil no doubt question their daughter when they see her in that state. If she doesn't tell why she was crying, her mom might even ask her best friend about it. How ironic would it be, if Sasuke was the cause of her tears. Though, it was more likely it was because of the boy that used her.

As much Sasuke doesn't want to think about Sakura, there's one thing she can't shake off her mind.

After her and Itachi finish cleaning up everything, well past midnight, she asks:

"Did you notice that Sakura's been kissing around today?"

Itachi stops washing the dishes, and turn to gaze quizzically at her.

"That's one way to say it." He reprimends. 

"It's the only way." Sasuke argues, deciding picking up where his brother left, to have something to do. He turns the tap.

"Was it you?" Sasuke asks, blankly.

Itachi gives her a rare cold look.

"You know I'd never do something like that." 

"Why not?" There's relief in her chest, even when she asks, defensive of Sakura. "Isn't she good enough for you?"

Itachi watches her with prying eyes. "Sakura's special girl, but I won't ever see her that way."

Sasuke glares at the water seeping his hands, feeling empty. "What if I told you... that she likes you?" 

"Please, don't tell him." He remembers Sakura's plea to keep this as a secret, but she feels no remorse. Sakura betrayed her first by betraying herself.

"Then..." He pauses. "I would say I noticed." Itachi replies evenly, placing the dried silverware in the higher cabinets. 

Sasuke sighted, yeah, it was that obvious. "When did you found out?" 

"Since you were kids. Though I assumed she'd grow out of it." He told her, holding her gaze. "I think she's insisting in because she isn't as mature as she feels." 

Sasuke laughs. "Nonsense. She's crazy about you." Her eyes narrowed. "I just can't accept how she betrayed her feelings to get it on with some random brat." 

"Is that why you look so upset?" 

Sasuke paused, the sound of the water was the only thing filling the silence. 

"No, I was angry with her before."

That much was truth, right? Ever since they stood almost naked beside each other. Since the day she realized she liked seeing Sakura large expanse of pale skin, almost touching it under the water of the shower as they washed the dye, her fingers on her hair.

They stopped talking afterwards.

Why? Had she done something wrong? Or it was just the new attention Sakura receive that made her distant from Sasuke?

She narrowed her eyes. "But nevermind" She said to hearself as much as to her brother. "Do you know who it was?"

That kissed her? That made her cry?

"You were around her the whole time." Sasuke accused. "Shouldn't you have stopped it?"

Itachi smiled. "I'm not her babysitter, besides, she seemed to be enjoying herself."

Sasuke scowled.

"I bet she was, but have you seen her in the end of the party? Well, she got what was coming to her."

"You sound too bitter." Itachi pointed out, straight faced. "If I told who it was, what would you do? Beat him up?" 

Sasuke clenched her firsts, her brother cold demanour was frustrating her. She thought he would be more understanding.

"What if she and this guy start dating?" He suggested, angering her further. 

"Then I'll stop being her friend." She said, dead serious. 

Itachi smiled a bit, before poking her forehead. "I hope you don't regret that."

Her brother claimed to not know anything. If she wanted to find out she would question another people  
\---  
\--  
-

Naruto didn't have a clue about it either. Neither Gaara or Shikamaru. 

She realized she was being naive. In the lunch break she sat with a group of girls from her class that were there that day.

"Isn't it unusual, Sasuke giving us the time of the day?" Ino joked, pushing her hair back. Sasuke ignored her, not in the mood to play any ego contests with the blond.

She just ate quietly her sandwich, asking instead, like she actually gave a damn; "So, did you all like my party?" 

That got him affirmative responses. Sasuke was the one starting to think she was the only one that missed all the fun. Instantly they were talking about what happened and the nasty details. Who got with who. Then they were talking about Sakura, and how she grabbed all attention.

"Do you know about Sakura?" She asked, neutrally, in the right time.

Ino knew instantly what she was talking about, and she smirked. "Of course! Everyone is talking about it." 

Sasuke narrowed her eyes. "Why?" 

"What, you don't know about it, Sasuke?" Tenten sharply noticed. 

Her silence was an admission enough. 

"Ow. Troubles in paradise" Ino chants, smirking.

Then there was drawl. "Do you guys ever fight?" Temari asked inspecting her hands, seemingly disinterested in their talk. 

"No." Sasuke replied sarcastically. "I'm just wasting time here with you all because I got nothing better to do."

Ino bristled, but Temari was amused. 

"That much I could tell." She stopped picking at her nails and looked at him. "Just ask what is it that you wanted to know, but can't ask her."

"Wah. And here I was thinking Sasuke sough our company because she realized we are so much fun!" 

She ignored Ino again. "Who was it?"

"Kadota." This time's tenten that answers.

Sasuke's face is blank for a slip of second, until he put a face to that name, instantly being angered when the image comes to her mind. Why was he in her party anyways? She doesn't recall speaking to him more than a couple times. 

"Oh." The realization hits her. "Sakura was in charge of the invitations." She states out loud. 

Ino quickly caught up. 

"So you think the two already had something before the party?" 

Sasuke scowls, displeased that he had contributed to gossiping.

"I don't know." And that fact that she didn't really, made her feel all the more bitter.  
\---  
\--  
-

Sasuke, can we talk?

That was the message she had been gazing at in the past seconds. She sat in her bed, elbows resting in her knees. Sakura had skipped that day, and it made her worried as much as she didn't want to face her yet. Instead, she glared at Kadota all day, and she couldn't possibly see what Sakura saw in him. He was considered popular, and good-looking, but he was just so average. He was a smudge of dirty compared to Itachi, in all the aspects. 

Just what she was thinking?

Yeah, you okay? Sasuke tentatively texted back. 

No, I'm grounded. 

What for? 

Sakura erased her text plenty of times before she sent it: Mom realized I had made out with someone. She saw that I was crying and thought I had made a bad decision. She tried to make me talk, but I didnt say a word. She got angry and decided to punish me.

Sasuke's mouth was in a thin line. And she let you skip?

Yes, I put up a bit of drama, but I wasn't really feeling up to it. 

Sakura never skipped, she must have been really upset. Suddenly, Sasuke felt a suffocating amount of guilty. 

Do you think you could come over, maybe sleep here?

Let me ask her. 

It wasn't long before another text came. She allowed me, but I can't sleep over. I have to leave a seven. 

That gave then two hours, well, it was better than nothing. Her mother was working and so was her father, and Itachi was in class. So they would have privacy. Sasuke felt a bit anxious in a way she never felt when Sakura came over. She prepared her a sandwich with ham and salad, and brought up the cookie jar. It was all resting in the desk in his room, added with orange juice. She knew that Sakura didn't eat when she was upset, and she wouldn't have that.

And she wanted them to stay in their room. The living room still reminded her too much of the party. 

Sakura arrived at the appointed time. Sasuke opened the door to her, being greeted with the lovely sight of her pink hair, pushed back in a bun. There was tension in her eyes as she smiled at her. 

"Let's go up." She told her, bringing her to her room and closing and locking the door behind them. 

"Thank you, Sasuke." Sakura said, voice wavering, as she eyed the food set for her.

The more she looked at her, the more guilty she felt. But she couldn't forgive her without talking first. So she kept her distance sitting in her bed, as Sakura took the chair. She waited to her to finished eating, bothered by the way the air felt stagnant with tension.

To her surprise it was Sakura that broke the silence first. "I'm sorry." She started, just as tears started scaping the corner of her eyes. "I know you are angry with me."

"Why didn't you tell me about Kadota?" Sasuke bit, brushing away her apology. 

Sakura bowed her head. "I didn't say anything because... It's awkward." When Sasuke grunted in disapproval, she elaborated. "It's awkward to talk with you about this kind of thing." 

"Why?" Sasuke was offended. 

"I'm not..." Sakura took a pause to wipe her eyes. "I'm not too comfortable with the idea of going out with someone either, it's too new still. And if I told you I had a feeling you'd dissuade me on the matter."

That was about right. But. "So you thought it was better to go out with this random guy behind my back?"

"No!" She protested, warm tears filling her eyes. "He had approached me, yes, before the party. But we weren't going out then. We just exchanged phone numbers. It was only at the party that we-"

"-Kissed." Sasuke finished for her. 

She blushed. "Well, yeah." 

"How was it?" 

Sakura was a bit taken back from the question. "Well, it felt good even though it was a bit disgusting, I guess? Kisses are so wet."

Sasuke glared hard at a point in the wall. "And you let him grope you?" 

Sakura blushed more. "Maybe? It all happened too fast."

Sasuke was livid before she could even process it.

"How could you do that." She started, voice full of disdain. "He was just using you, can't you see?"

Sakura scowled. "So what? I wanted it. I was using him too. I've been wanting to see how being with someone, was like... like that, you know?" She stood, showing a bit of her usual assertiveness. "But I don't feel a thing for him."

That was a understated relief, but Sasuke was still troubled with her logic and too pissed to let it go. "But isn't that, disrespectful towards yourself? What about Itachi, and your feelings for him?"

Sakura's expression shifted a bit.

"I've just realized I have no chances with him. Not in that way." This renders Sasuke speechless. "Perhaps I've always knew it. So I figured I would try this out with my other options."

She feels like choking. After so many years... "So you are giving up at him?" 

Sakura looks conflicted. "I am not, not fully. There's a part of me that thinks that if I start to see guys I might grab some of his attention..."

Sasuke stood, suddenly, deciding she had heard enough.

"You sound ridiculous." She declared, outraged. 

It made Sakura eyes glisten and she flinched, but she didn't cry. She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself, but her voice came watery all the same.

"That's why I was right not to talk about you about this kind of subject." She shot back. "You're too childish to understand it!"

That felt harder than a straight punch. Sasuke glared. "Don't start feeling all superior because you've kissed with a random good for nothing scumbag."

She was almost screaming but she couldn't let it down.

"Is this how you'll act now?" She stepped forth, pushing sakura a step back. "You'll throw yourself at every terribly average guy without any criteria just so you want to make out, without caring about what may others think? Goddammit Sakura!" The girl starts crying now, but Sasuke doesn't stop. "Or worse, you'll do it because you think you may have the slight possibility that you'll caught my brother's attention. As if he would ever care for vulgar behavi-"

Sakura slaps her. Her left cheek burned and the world spun and she lost her balance and fell in her bed. 

"Oh my god, Sasuke!" She wails. "I shouldn't have-"

Before Sakura could complete her sentence, Sasuke pushes her by the elbow, into the bed and it's instantly on top of her.

"Shut up!" Sasuke hisses, and Sakura looks pissed even with all the tears. They start wrestling, hands pushing and pushing, and trashing legs. 

"You've left me there!" Sakura cried, as she shoved Sasuke into the matress. "You don't even care why I was crying at all?" 

"I thought you deserved it!" She let out in between gritted teeth. 

Sasuke chokes, and feels like Sakura is about to break hes arm twisting it behind her back. She manages to trash just so she headbutts her forehead, knocking her back. She means to push Sakura off her legs, but their palms meet in a deadlock of strenght. 

"I was crying because you looked so disgusted!" She kept talking through her tears. "Whatever I did wasn't worthy if it would make you hate me!"

Sasuke tried to push her away, but she wouldn't bulge. She closed her eyes, feeling the fight leave her as the tight know of her troat grew beyond her control. A tear fell down to her chin.

"You.." Sakura gasped, surprised, finally allowing their hands to drop. "You're crying."

"No shit." Her eyes had glistened ever since the slap. It had hurt a lot.

She feels like she need tissues soon. Sasuke entire face is red, reddened most in her left side and nose, and she looked miserable just as much as Sakura. 

"I'm sorry I acted like that." She rasps, blinking quickly. "I've been an idiot. I deserved that slap."

She apologizes, looking down at their joined palms, and the mess of legs bellow them. This closeness... she realized she wanted it to mean something, and that realization made her feel all the more desperate. She squeezed their palms, and lowered her head further.

"Sasuke..." Sakura tone's softened. She tried to release her hand from the hold, but Sasuke didn't let her.

"Let's just stay like this... for a while longer." She softly requested, as tears feel down her face. Perhaps Sakura was right, and she was really that childish. 

Sakura chocked in a sob.

"Yeah."  
\---  
\--  
-

Things changed a lot, in the following months. 

They grew distant, somehow, or life simply was too busy to allow them to spend together. 

It was as if Sakura's change of hair color instantly made her more popular with the opposite sex. As for Sasuke's looks, she didn't notice much difference in the way people reacted to her, if anything, people stared more. 

Eventually, Sakura started dating. It was a guy named Gerard or something, that she met got only knows where. Sakura suddenly had a social life, while hers was still limited to her family's mostly and Naruto. Sasuke was almost too busy to care, almost. She had school to worry about, and her extra activities barely left her in any free time. She was studying more, as she would be graduating in that year.

"Hey." Itachi knocked on her door, one night. 

On that occasion, Sasuke was on her back in the bed, feeling too tired to do anything.

"What is it, nisan?"

"I'm going out with my friends this weekend. Do you want to come with me?"

That got her attention. She got up and looked at him. 

"We will watch B-rated movies in Deidara's house and prepare something to eat, play some videogame, maybe."

Itachi's friends were completely nerd. 

And gay.

She took too long to realize that. 

Sasuke grinned. "That sounds like fun." 

Itachi smiled back at her. The fact that he had told her just recently he was with a guy didn't change a thing in their relationship. But it gave Sasuke some answers.

Perhaps she should've seen it coming. Itachi explained his point of view, that it was completely normal to feel attraction, sometimes they were people of the opposite sex, or they were from the same one. There was no big deal, it wasn't the end of the world. And she felt so relieved at hearing it she could cry. 

"Dad will go nuts if he ever found out, though." She whispered.

But Itachi actually laughed. "Imagine his face when his perfect son facade falls." 

This made her giggle. "He probably will take the hit better with me, since his standards were always lower with his daughter."

Itachi didn't reply, and just messed with her hair until she slapped him away.

Sasuke was glad, now the two of them felt even closer.  
\---  
\--  
-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and reviews make me happy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -
> 
> Sasuke makes new friends, and prepares to say goodbye to her old ones, but they won't let her go that easily. Some bounds stay, others change into something else.

Itachi had one female friend, just one.

Her name was Konan, and she was a hot lesbian. She played the battery a band called Akatsuki. She had blue hair, and was pierced in the lip and nose and in several places in her ear. A tattoo of a origami rose adorned her nape. Sasuke never felt instant respect for someone he didn't even know, but that was exactly what happened, as irrational as it was, when Konan went out with Itachi friends one day.

"So." She started, when both of them were at the kitchen, frying hamburgers while the others were dousing in alcohol in the living room all loud voices.

"Who's she?" Konan also had an habit of being terribly vague.

"What?" Sasuke asked, lost.

"The girl that made you realize you couldn't think straight." Konan explained, with a blank expression.

The pun felt so out of character that made Sasuke laugh drily. 

"A friend." She offered, voice neutral. Each time she accepted she saw Sakura in that light, it became a little easier to breath. "My closest one." 

Konan clicked her tongue. "This is tough." She looked at her wamly. "Does she know?"

"No." Sasuke wasn't keen on telling her anytime soon. Oh the humiliation... Specially if she was dating, specially knowing it was unrequited. "She has a boyfriend."

"...But she's your precious friend." Konan countered, quietly. 

She didn't say anything else, but Sasuke realized that the words had stuck to her mind, teaching her that you didn't need many words or arguments to make a valid point.  
\---  
\--  
-

"You've been more antisocial than the usual." 

Sasuke didn't bother to look at him, she kept looking at the peeved path as she jogged. Her breath becoming mist as it met with the cold November air. 

"Give it up. I'm not going out with you guys this weekend." She said, slightly out of breath. 

Naruto quickned his pace so he was besides her. 

"I'm not talking about that." He took a pause to steady his breathing and his steps. "But you can still come if you change your mind."

Sasuke huffed. There's no way she was coming to the movies with two couples. Naruto would be with Hinata, and Sakura with that guy she had conveniently erased the name from her mind. 

"I told you, I have to study. Finals are coming." She said, as they speed through the park. The sun setting was casting shadows in the pine trees around them as they jogged.

"Teme." Naruto gritted his teeth. the frustration in his voice made Sasuke finally look at him,.

"How come you're so busy, and still make time to see your new friends?" He asks, looking hurt. 

Sasuke has to keep his mind on running, otherwise she would've tripped right there.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Ino have seen you with them plenty of times."

Damn Ino, and the fact she lived in their neighborhood.

"So she must have seen Itachi, as well." She replies coldly, looking ahead again. "They're his friends from college." She looks at him nonchalant. "Yeah, I've hang out with them a couple of times because Itachi invited me to."

They make a turn and left the park to jog on the streets, already lit in that hour.

Naruto's silently and, more even than his annoying attitude, this was the one thing Sasuke could never deal with. 

"They're cool." She tells, then adds, less neutrally. "And you can't expect things to be the same since you two starting dating."

Naruto perks up at the implicit mention of Sakura. "She told me she misses you, you know?"

Sasuke scowls. Sometimes she wishes for the past. To the time it was just the three of them and no complication in between. She chose not to comment on his remark.

"I'll just be the third wheel if I went out with you." And no difference would be made if she wasn't there at all. 

"Why are you pushing us away?" Naruto growled, as he stopped running, forcing Sasuke to a stop. She looked back at him, his look of incomprehension. 

She feels a familiar knot on her throat. "I'm not. Things are like that." She looked at the distant horizon, the remaining orange hues almost completely enveloped by the growing dark.

Differently of Naruto, she had thought this through. It was only natural.

"Sometimes friends walk on different paths." She says, seriously.

Naruto power walks to her and she lets him grab her forearm. "Stop talking as if it's innevitable!"

Sasuke smiles, and brush him off her.

"But it is. Use your brains for once. We'll be going to different colleges." Naruto glares at her. "I'm going to leave for Otto. Together with Itachi." He would graduate this year and was already hired there. They would live together. "And Sakura's going to the best medical school. Which is in Suna. And you want to stay in here."

He looks like he's about to object, but he sighs. "Yeah, Sakura told me about your decision." He buries his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched, and walk past her. "... She told me other things too."

She feels her heartbeat quicken, a cold feeling of anxiousness washing over her suddenly as she watches his back.

She knew that tone, he was pissed off. Sasuke walks to catch up with him, and pears at his expression trying to guess what he was thinking. There's a scowl in place, and a sharp edge to his blue eyes.

"Why are you doing this to her?" He asks.

Sasuke looks away. From this she can deduce Sakura told him their exchange that other day. They met by chance in the local mall, and she was by herself, for once. They exchanged a few words before Sasuke declared that she would be moving away next year. She had to say it to Sakura, so she would solidify her resolve. But she didn't expect her eyes to glisten with tears. 

So she still cares.

... But caring ins't enough, not anymore. Sasuke thought bitterly. 

Naruto kept going. "You've always been a sort of an ass to me, but you had a soft spot for Sakura." Sasuke stop breathing. Did he suspect? "You treated her a way nicer before. She told me you barely talk now a days, what the hell."

Sasuke looked ahead. Two more blocks, and she should be home, safe. She quickened her pace. 

"What is going on with you two?"

"I mean, really. Last week she just broke down over the phone when we were talking about you..."

"Hey!" Naruto calls from behind. She listens to his steps as he jogs to her. "Why are you running away?!"

"I don't want to have this conversation." She makes her steps even longer, her sneakers snapping loudly against the concrete.

"Is it because of her boyfriend?"

That was dangerously close to the thruth. "No." She replied, hating that her tone was uneven. 

Naruto stops, then say as if it was nothing:

"Ino thinks you are gay." 

Sasuke freezes on the spot, before twisting around to face him. Her instict to flight had switched to fight. She glares at him, darkly.

"Is that what you think too?" She asks, theatening.

Naruto doesn't seem bothered. 'It has crossed my mind, yeah. If you like Sakura like that, everything would make a lot more sense..."

There's panic, then.

"I don't give a fuck at what you guys think!" She snaps, raising her fists. "I don't own you any explanations and if you keep talking, I swear Naruto, I am going to fucking make you shut up!"

Her friend step back, his face serene with something that looks like compassion. "Fine. I'm dropping this, for now. I don't care what you are Sasuke, you'll always be our friend. But don't act like it doesn't matter to you."

She drags herself home, feeling more tired than she should after returning from a simple jog. She falls into her bed when her cellphone vibrates next to her head. She glaces at the message. From Naruto.

I think she likes you too, it said, talk to her you teme.  
\---  
\--  
-

 

She gets out of the gym, running her hands trought her damp hair.

The ache in her muscles feels almost pleasant and there's a peace in her that only comes after being physically exhausted. She crosses the parking lot, closing her jacket all the way to the neck, trying to shield herself against the cold wind that swap at the trees above her. It seems a storm is due anytime.

"Sasuke!"

She freezes for a moment, before looking at the direction of the voice. She finds Sakura walking quickly towards her, all clumsy, with a huge backpack equilibrated in one stripe, and two mugs of coffee in each hand. She half smiles, half grimaces, as the wind picks up and makes her hair snap against her face. 

"Shit." She twiches, as burning cofeef scapes and falls on her fingers around the lid. 

"Let me." Sasuke walks to her and grabs one of the mugs from her hands. 

She looks up at him, as she licks the coffee from her fingers. "Thanks, but this is mine." She takes the mug back, and hands her the one she was holding.

"Mocca is your favourite, right?" 

Sasuke's stunned to find her name written in the mug handed to her. 

"Can we talk?" Sakura asks, looking very young suddenly, securing her fringe back with her fingers to not let herself be blinded by it. "Preferably not here, please?" 

Sasuke laughs, despite the tension she feels. The wind is making her pink hair fly around like crazy. Suddenly there's a lighting above them. A purple glow flashes on Sakura's face for a second. Next comes rolling thunder, making them both jump. Rain start to fall almost immediately, as if someone opened a gigantic faucet above their heads. 

"My car." Sasuke growls, as she runs, followed by Sakura. 

They both get inside quickly, doors are shut loudly. They stay frozen for a moment breathing heavily as the storms rages around them. Each droplet of rain sounds like bullets. The trees that surround the parking lot seem to be moving like puppets due to the strength of the wind.

Sakura giggles, breaking the silence.

"What the hell was that." She sights, as she glances at the raindrops marking er white hoddie and jeans. 

Sasuke kicks the engine on, and turns on the heater. Her damp hair was freazing her skull, and her wet jacket wasn't helping, She chooses to take it off, as she does it, the exposed skin of her arm fills with goosebumps. She drapes the clothing in her legs and drinks her coffee, thankful by the way it burns her throat, warming her insides.

She can see Sakura holding her own cup close to her chest, her frame shaking. 

Wordlessy, Sasuke reaches for his backpack behind her seat. She takes a black scarf out of if and hands it to her. 

Sakura gaps. "No, you use it." 

"Just take it." 

She concedes easily. "Thanks." She wrap it against her shoulders, and hides her lower face in it. 

Sasuke allows himself to study her and it's like he haven't seen her in ages. Her pink hair is flat against her cheeks, cropped around her neck. The roots are a shade darker, telling that the color is fading. Deliriously, she thinks that the bubblegum shade was the cause of all this issues. Of Sakura growing confidence, and the increase of male interest in her. She had always been attractive, but the that color made her stand out, it brought out the lovely shade of her eyes, gave glow to her skin. 

And it was her idea. She looks at her, and Sasuke feels particularly weak as she has to look away first. 

"It seems you're stuck with me here." Sasuke drawls, as she takes another swallow. "I'm going nowhere until I finish this. And I hate driving with no visibility."

Sakura laughs, and it's like a foreigner sound. "Oh, no. That's a pity. To think of all the homework sitting alone in my desk, waiting for me. I feel so bad at abandoning it." 

Sasuke grins, surprised that she's playing along. "Are you sure you are going to handle it? There's a way. You can always leave the car and run to the bus stop."

Sakura slaps her light in the shoulder, sending a wave of electricity through her.

"Gee thanks, but it's the other way around. I had all this trouble of finding you, buying you coffee, I'm not letting this opportunity go." 

"Did you plan the raging storm too? Because that was totally unnecessary." 

Sakura laughs again, but there's a lingering sadness around her eyes. Sasuke expression grows serious. She opens her mouth to say something, but Sasuke cuts her off. 

"Your hair dye is fading around the roots." 

Sakura looks at her funny. That's probably something Ino would say, but that doesn't mean Sasuke doesn't have observation skills. In the depths of her mind she wonders why she's stalling. 

"Yeah, Yugami-kun dyed for me last time but he isn't good at it."

Sasuke eye's narrow at the name. She gets the impression that they're ascending in a roller-coaster, just about to drop. Sakura searches something in her face, bites down her lips, an anxious tick of hers. 

"I..." She starts. "We broke up."

After the surprise, Sasuke does his best to not look relieved.

"He was nice. I thought I was being unfair to him because dating wasn't my focus, and I've always let him on second place priority. And that was hurting him too, so I decided to end the relationship. Hopefully we can still be friends even though he was really upset. I hope he will forgive me one day."

Sakura says it in just one go, all the while looking at her with wide eyes.

She wasn't prepared for this kind of conversation, she didn't even know what to feel.

"Are you upset over it?" She asks after a long moment.

"No. I feel great." Sakura says.

Sasuke sights. "You look sad to me." She glances at the raindrops hitting the glass widow of the car. 

"That has nothing to do with him." Her voice breaks, and surely, there are tears pooling in her eyelids. Sasukés eyes widen, it's all happening too fast and she can't process anything. "It's you, Sasuke." 

Her breath catch. Did she actually mean...? Sasuke can't help but to reach for her, perhaps to assure that this isn't a figment of her imagination and Sakura it's really there.

"I miss you."

Her hand stops midway, she's frozen. "I've missed you all this time. Why have you shut me off? Ignored me? Why did you stop answering my texts?" She pauses to take a breath. "You even had the trouble of changing your sparring classes day so we wouldn't meet!"

Sasuke can't articulate any thought, she can't tell her.

"I am sorry. " She says, regret heavy in her chest, she could never deal with a crying Sakura.

Sakura chokes on a laugh, that could very well be a sob. "Sorry for what, asshole? Can't you even apologize properly?"

"Sorry for all this shit. I don't want you to be hurt." Did she really? Wasn't that cold-blooded revenge for the feeling of being betrayed by her? Irrational, of course, Sakura wasn't hers, but how damn she wished she was. Her way to deal with it was to ignore her existence, pretend the years of shared friendship never happened or owned Sakura an explanation for her behavior. 

"But you avoided me too, Sakura." She accused, tired all of sudden. "Don't act like it was all me."

"Yeah! Because you're being so cold!" Sakura said angered. "Which made me spend more and more time with other people, with my ex. But you know, I've always missed you!" 

She feels like slipping in ice. She has missed her too. Suddenly all the times she thought about her come rushing in her mind, and she regrets choosing to be alone, regrets being so childish. Hers was a stupid crush, she could at least have kept her friendship.

"Forgive me." She says.

Sakura cries openly, brushing furiously stray tears with her palms.

"Fuck you." She curses, and just as suddenly, she grabs Sasuke's hands from where they rest on her lap. And pushes. Sasuke jolts and doesn't think much before leaning in her direction.

Arms come around her neck, and they are sort of hugging in the empty space between the seats in an instant. Sasuke's expression is both of relief at this closeness and frustration at the wide pace of her heartbeat. Her arms come to rest light on the high of her back, brushing against the ends of her hair. 

"If you are really sorry..." Sakura said, muffled voice against her neck, teasing her skin. Sasuke freezes, and she hates it how gay she is. "Don't ever do that again."

"Got it." 

Sakura breaks the embrace suddenly, and looks around bashfully. "Sorry about that. I know you hate touch freely people." 

"But you're the exception to that." She answers, truthfully. "As to other many things." 

Sasuke feels a smile pulling at her lips, reluctant hope in her chest, at the way Sakura smiles at her then.  
\---  
\--  
-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -  
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and reviews make me happy! 
> 
> This is maybe the last chapter, I haven't decided on it though. Did you think I managed to keep Sasuke and Sakura in character despite them both being girls in this? Any opinions on the writing? Any feedback is very much appreciated.
> 
> The title is from a song called Feel it In my bones, by Tegan and Sara.


End file.
